Some Things Remain
by Gratia Astra
Summary: Kira is wandering through the forest thinking about all the changes that have happened since Aizen and...betrayed Soul Society, when he comes across a familiar sight. One-shot. Renji/Rukia fluff. Kira POV.


_Hey everybody. I was just walking down the road, minding my own business like the totally innocent soul that I am (not a word from you gymnastgirl) when this evil little bunny came up and attacked me. It was this image of Renji sleeping in a tree, with Rukia in his lap, both of them recovering from their battle with Aizen. So then I had to write this one-shot around that._

_Summary: Kira is thinking about all the changes that have occured since Aizen betrayed Soul Society when he comes across a familiar sight that reminds him that some things remain the same. _

_Fluffy Ren-Ruki friendship. You can see it as romance if you really want to, I guess. I categorized this under Renji and Rukia, even though it's actually Kira and his POV, because FFN will only let you choose two characters. I almost categorized it as Kira, but the coin toss said Renji and Rukia. Just a one-shot. Now lets get on with it already._

_Oh, yeah, and I don't own anything. *goes off to sob into a pillow*_

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><p>Kira was in a nostalgic mood.<p>

He could often be found wandering through the forest, thinking about any number of things. Today, he was thinking about the past. About a time before...his captain had betrayed all of Soul Society. Betrayed _him_.

Before...before Rukia's almost-execution, his captain had seemed to be the one thing Kira could always count on. If his captain was well and in charge, nothing could go wrong. It didn't matter what happened, his captain would fix everything. His captain was the ultimate Shinigami, the person Kira wanted to be most like. He knew some people had found his captain creepy, but he hadn't. Not once, not ever. His captain was good and powerful.

At least, that's what he had always thought. Then Aizen and Tousen and...they had admitted to their treachery and gone to Hueco Mundo. And everything had changed.

Captain Komamaru no longer wore his helmet. He was now confident in his appearance and acceptance, not like before. The entire sixth squad was different. Captain Kuchiki had been defeated by a mere ryoka and was said to be more open to his sister, while Vice-Captain Abarai had achieved bankai. Even Captain Zaraki had been defeated. Here and there evidence could been seen of the battles that had been fought. Central 46 was no more, so the Captain-Commander now gave all the orders. Far out, there was a large burnt circle that no one approached or even mentioned. He wasn't the only one suffering either. Hisagi now ran the 9th squad, as it's acting captain. Matsumoto drank even more now, mourning for the "loss" of her friend...she often invited him, but he always declined. Before, he might have gone with her, but now he wasn't sure he even could. After all, he _had_ attacked her. Because his captain had told him to, and because he had trusted his captain. Who had lied. Because of him, Hinamori was still in the 4th Squad's barracks recovering. The faces of lower-ranking Shinigami had changed too. Each of them, to some degree, held traces of fear, uncertainty, distrust. If one captain could turn, it was something to be mourned or maybe cause rumors. But it wasn't one captain. It was _three_!

Everything was changing.

And Kira hated it.

He was so lost in thought, he almost ran into a tree. Stopping himself just in time, Kira took note of his surroundings. He was deep in the forest, near the training academy. He was actually quite close to the place were he had often trained with Renji. It was also close to the place where he had caught Renji sleeping in a tree, more than once too. For some reason, the red-haired shinigami seemed to enjoy resting in precarious positions far off the ground. It was hardly a suprise that his Zanpaktou was half-snake, half-baboon. Both creatures liked to spend their time in trees. And all Zanpaktou are reflections of their masters.

Once, he had even caught Renji sleeping in his favorite tree with Rukia.

Rukia had been in his lap, his arm wrapped around her and hers around him for safety, while Renji himself had been stretched out across several branches. Rukia was somehow immune to her best friend's snoring and both had been sound asleep. Neither of them were yet experienced enough to be wary of unexpected reiatsu passing by. So he had quietly continued on his way, never mentioning the scene to anyone.

Closing his eyes, he could almost hear the red pineapple's chainsaw impersonation, oblivious to his visitor.

Then they snapped open again when he realized the loud sound was not coming from his imagination.

He looked up.

And blinked.

Relaxing on a thick limb against the trunk of a large tree, at least 20 feet off the ground, Renji slept. And blissfully unaware of the commotion her best friend was making, Rukia was out like a light in his lap.

Being a previous member of the fourth squad, the blond, third squad lietenant had half a mind to tell them to get out of that tree before they fell and hurt themselves even worse, dammit! The other half was quietly taking it in, looking on in fond amusement.

Kira was momentarily startled when he felt the familiar spiritual pressure of the sixth squad lieutenant push against him, examining him. After a brief inspection it pulled back, apparently satisfied that he meant the pair no harm. Studying the red-head's face, he could see that the other man was still asleep. Even when he was out cold, Renji was on alert, unconciously protecting himself and his beautiful charge. Kira expected nothing less from Kuchiki Byakuya's second-in-command.

Abarai had one arm looped around a branch beside him for security, while the other tightly encircled the shoulders of the small, raven-haired girl that was settled contentedly against his chest. Said girl was completely at peace, totally trusting that he would not allow her to fall, even when he wasn't awake. The Kuchiki princess still looked pale from her encounter, but the spirit-enriched atmosphere was slowly starting to bring back the reiatsu to her drained body. Her head was tucked under his chin, making her appear even smaller. Rukia clutched Renji's robe with one hand, the other lay across her stomach. They were wearing the uniform of Shinigami now, instead of the blue and red student's clothing, but that seemed to be the only thing in this image that was different from the one Kira had previously held in his mind.

He allowed a rare smile before quietly turning away.

Perhaps...not _everything_ had changed.

Yes, things were still very different from what they'd been only a few weeks...days? before. But it wasn't all bad. The traitors were known to them now: Aizen, Tousen, and...Ichimaru. Kira felt his shoulders straighten for the first time that day. It was the first time since Gin had betrayed him that he had actually been able to say that hated name. They had new allies, the Substitute Shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo, and his friends. The Gotei 13 may not have been complete, but they had survived and become all the stronger for the deception and pain suffered. He had even heard that someone was being considered as a new captain for the 3rd squad. Perhaps this time it would be someone who would not betray him.

Tilting his head to feel the sunlight, he decided that he would summon up his courage and go see Matsumoto. Accept her invitation and perhaps have a drink with her. Although with Rangiku, it would be more like a dozen.

As he headed back for Seretei and the 10th squad barracks, one final thought passed through his head.

Through it all, in the end, and always after - some things remained.

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><p><em>Weeell? What did you think? Like it, hate it? Just hit that button down there and tell me please! <em>


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